


Take this sinking boat and point it home

by makesometime



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Episode Tag, M/M, Yearning, episode 173 spoilers, light teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26880532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makesometime/pseuds/makesometime
Summary: “You look rested.”Zolf smirks, fidgeting slightly with the fall of his coat. There’s an increasing nervous energy across the ship as everyone disappears below decks and he’s not immune to feeling it.“You saying I didn’t before?”
Relationships: Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde
Comments: 14
Kudos: 56





	Take this sinking boat and point it home

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies, I'm back with another edition of writing the scenes that Alex and Ben cruelly refuse to RP. I hope you enjoy this little interlude <3

“You look rested.”

Zolf smirks, fidgeting slightly with the fall of his coat. There’s an increasing nervous energy across the ship as everyone disappears below decks and he’s not immune to feeling it. 

“You saying I didn’t before?”

Zolf watches Wilde turn away a moment too late to hide his lips quirking into a faint smile. The man's fingers tighten on the wheel as he glances out across the darkening skyscape, and Zolf waits for a moment to see if he's going to say anything in response. The silence stretches and the line of Wilde's shoulders turns stiff like he's actively avoiding looking back again, or plotting up some way of not handing over control.

Whatever it is, Zolf hates it. They’ve come too far together to start being evasive now.

“I would never imply that, Mr Smith.” Wilde says eventually. "That would suggest I am currently in any state to judge someone’s personal appearance.”

Zolf moves to look out at the clouds with him, an uncomfortable ball of anxiety building fast in his chest. The ship is almost upon the aurora now, so Wilde should be getting down to the box for his own safety, but…

With a sigh, he leans across and locks the wheel, turning to fully face the man. It’s only when he’s looking up at Wilde’s expectant expression that he realises he doesn’t have the faintest idea what to say.

“Zolf?”

“You’re not gonna do anything silly, right?” He blurts, curling his palm over the handle close to Wilde’s but not touching. “Just go and rest with the others.”

Wilde’s lips purse in a vain attempt to stifle a fond smile. He slides his hand up to lay over Zolf's own, his fingers fitting warmly into the ridges of Zolf's knuckles. “I promise I’ll behave. Much as I might want to keep you company.”

Zolf frowns. “You wouldn’t be safe. I can’t los—.” He stops, swallows and looks away before he can see Wilde’s reaction. “I refuse to put anyone other than myself at risk. “

“Maybe we don’t like putting you at risk either.” 

The hand over his tightens, just a little. 

“Shame you don’t get a say.”

It's Wilde's turn to frown, though his eyes have a good humour to them that makes the corners of Zolf’s mouth twitch in response. “I don’t think I like this turn to our relationship. I prefer when I got to tell you what to do.”

“I’m sure that time’ll come again soon enough.” He says. “For now. Let me do this. And let me keep you safe.”

“Zolf—.”

“ _Go_ , Wilde.” He says, the words spilling out of him in a desperate effort to stem the desire to move in close and do something stupid.

With a final squeeze of his hand, Wilde moves out of the room, leaving Zolf with his thoughts and his worries and feeling uncomfortably more _alone_ this time.

#

He doesn’t see Wilde for a while after they’re clear of the aurora and the crew is back manning their stations once more. Worry over the missing engine and making sure Cel has what they need to get things working outweighs even the satisfaction of seeing everyone back in their bodies. It’s only when things have died down a little and they’re waiting for Skraak and Hamid to return to the ship that he feels a familiar presence over his shoulder.

“Well, this is certainly a look.”

He turns, crossing his arms over his chest. Irritation wars with frantic, desperate relief at seeing the man unaffected and smiling again, even if it’s at his expense. 

“Shut it.”

Apparently irritation is winning.

This only makes Wilde smile _more_ as he leans up against the wall, looking as cocksure and smug as ever. “I’m just saying, Zolf. If you wanted to try out colours, I would have been happy to advise you.”

“There’s more important things to be doing than worrying about how I look, Wilde.” He huffs, nodding at Earhart as she rushes by, too busy even to spare the time to chastise Wilde for being a layabout. “Surely there’s something you can be helping with.”

Wilde smiles so broadly that almost hides his disappointment. “I beg to differ that anything could be more important... But of course, Mr Smith. I will leave you to it.”

It takes Zolf barely a heartbeat to feel guilty about how quickly he's dismissed the man, given what they’ve both just been through. For a second time at that. The constant fear of the previous few hours has left him feeling dull and wrung out, and, if nothing else, Wilde has been a bright spot in his life for the past eighteen months. 

Even he’s not dumb enough to chase that away.

“Oi, Oscar!” 

Wilde turns on his heel at the sound of his name, cautious smile lighting upon his lips. “Yes, Zolf?”

Thinking on his feet, Zolf nods towards the helm once more. “I need to make sure the instruments are working properly. Think you can help with that?”

“I’m sure I can.” He grins, moving back the short distance he’d managed to cover after Zolf’s heavy-handed dismissal. “With your _guiding_ hand, I expect I can achieve anything.”

Zolf can’t fight a smile to match Wilde’s. “Well? Get a move on, Wilde, time's wastin'.”

“As you say, Mr Smith.”


End file.
